Decision to quit city for the farm pays off

A couple who swapped city careers for the farm seven years ago have taken top honours at the National Trust's Fine Farm Produce Awards.

The awards celebrate the very best produce from the trust's 1,500 tenant farmers and estates across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

And South West producers were among the winners of this year's awards.

The title of Overall Food Winner went to Neil and Sally Grigg, from Burrow Farm, on the Killerton estate near Exeter, for their Ruby Red Devon beef.

The couple left their London lives in 2007. Mr Grigg had been a chartered accountant and his wife a chartered surveyor. They now manage a herd of Red Ruby Devon cattle.

The awards were announced at Tyntesfield, near Bristol, this week.

Newcomers winner was the Story Group Ltd, an organic farming collective in North Somerset, which won for the first time with their organic beef.

Other West winners included Rachel Brewery, from Barrington Court's South Somerset Apple Juice and Cider Project.

Rob Macklin, head of food and farming at the National Trust, and chairman of the judges said: "As Europe's largest conservation charity it is really key for us that our producers reflect our whole reason for existing – and customers can rely on the fact that every product having the awards 'stamp' not only tastes great, but is produced in a way that cares for the land which not only works alongside nature, but is also farmed sustainably for future generations to enjoy."